Silas w



(No Model.)

- s. W. HOLBROOK. STAROHINGjMAGHINB.

No. 345,1.37. Patented July 6, 1886.

N. PETERS. Photo-Lithographer. \v'x inglon. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

SILAS \V. HOLBROOK, OF NEWBURG, NE\V YORK.

STARCHlNG-MACHINE.

CZBPBCIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,137, dated July6, 1886.

Application filed March 5, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Sims XV. HOLBROOK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newburg, in the county of Orange and State of New York, haveinvented a new and use- .ful Starching-Machine for Starching Collars,Cuffs, or Similar Wearing-Apparel, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention consists of a combination of two sets of rollers andpulleys, over which linen or canvas belts are stretched, and which areset in motion by belt or chain. -To each set of rollers belong twobelts, one being a carrier-belt, on which the collars are placed. Theother one, being covered wit-h starch, is putting starch on one side ofthecollar, at the same time holding it in position,while both belts withthe collar between them are subjected to a pressure passing between aset of rollers and a press-block, when the starch is pressed into themeshes of the fabric. After this the collar is transferred from thefirst set of belts to the second set automatically, a scraping-knifetaking the collar off when passing above and near tothe-secondcarrier-belt, which carries thecollar toward a second belt covered withstarch, exposing this time the other side of the collar to the supply ofstarch. This is done while both belts pass between a similar set ofrollers and a press-block, like in the first instance,when the starch ispressed into the collar. After this the collar is taken off the belt bya knife, and it falls into a receptacle placed below the knife.

The carrier-belts only have a positive motion and move with the samespeed. The other belts, which are covered with starch, are only carriedalong by the friction caused by passing with the carrier-belt betweenthe press-block and the rollers. The collars are not subjected to anystrain while passing between the belts; therefore all stretching andwear of the collars, cuffs, &c., is avoided. I attain these results bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top View of the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the two views.

The side frames, F F, support all parts of the machine.

Serial No. 157,174. (No model.)

The main driving-shaft A, near the front I end of the machine, is drivenby the pulley R, the other one, It, beinga loose pulley. The shaft Acarries at the other end a chain-wheel, 0, from which the other shafts,h and h", are driven by means of an endless chain, H,which engages intothe wheels 0 and C and is carried back over the leading-wheel 0* to thewheel 0. The wheel 0 is loose on the shaft, so as not to give any motionto the shaft or to the roller 0", which is on that shaft. The shaft Itcarries a spur-pinion, W, which drives the large spur-wheel VW, and byit the shaft 71?, which in turn transmits its motion to the shaft h by apair of equal wheels, V and V sothat both shafts move with equal speed.These shafts h and h carry each along I'Oll6l,m and 0, of equaldiameters, and these rollers give motion to the two endless canvas beltsB and T.

Belt B runs from roller m", as indicated by arrows, overaleading-roller, m, at the front end of the machine, then over apress-block, E, around the leading-rollers a and m, back to thedriving-roller m The belt T runs from the driving-roller 0, as indicatedby arrows, under a set of rollers, r 1', and over a press-block, D, aleading-roller, it, around the roller 0 at the front of the machine,returning under the press-block D to the driving-pulley 0.

To the shaft A are secured two round plates, 0 e, in which rest the endsof shafts ofa nunr ber of small rollers, r r 1', which are groupedbetween the plates 0 e in a circle around the shaft A, close together,but without touching each other,so that each roller can revolve on itsaxis, and all. together can revolve with the shaft A, forming a hollowdrum,the outside circumference of which is the rollers 1-1. Around theserollers r r are placed four other rollersprn a" a", in stationarybearings fastened to the side frames, F F, and they are so arranged thata belt, d,stretched over these four rollers will bear against therollers r r only at the front of the machine at h h, and at the lowerside of the group,wher e the belt (1 runs between the rollers r r andthe press-block E. This set of rollers r 1' has a positive motion, whenthe machine is running, by being fastened to the shaft A; but the belt(I is moved only by the friction caused by coming in contact with theICO rollers r r at h h, and by passing with the belt B between therollers r r and the press-bloek E. The pressure brought on the belts Band d can be adjusted by the bolts and set-screws by which thepress-block E is held in position to the side frames, F F. While eachroller r r is passing over the press-block E itis revolving on its ownaxis, thereby avoiding all sliding or stretching motion, only each oneis exercisinga pressure by rolling inside the belt (I when passing alongwith the beltd over the press-block E. Another similar set of rollers rr is fastened to the shaft 7/, between the plates t t, and the rollers aa a are placed around them in stationary bearings in such a way that abelt, 9, stretched over them will touch the rollers r 1' only at thefront and where it passes with the rollers over the pressblock D. Allthat is said about the former set of rollers applies also to theserollers.

The bearings carrying the rollers n and a are adjustable to take up theslackness of the belts d and g.

In front of the rollers r r on the shaft A is placed a hopper,S,containing prepared starch with two curved wing-s, the edges of which,

come close to these perforations. \Vhen the shaft revolves, the edges ofthe wings press starch automatically through the holes h l1,

which is carried off by the belt d passing by the holes. The shaft, withthe agitator, is revolved by a small belt, whichruns from the pulley cbehind the spur-wheel V to the pulley f.

Now, the machine bei ng ready for operation, a collar is placed on thebelt B at the place P 'near the front of the machine. The belt carriesit along and passes it under the belt (I, which is on the outsidecovered with starch. Both belts B and d now pass with the collar betweenthem over the press-block E, which is pressed against the revolvingrollers r r. By this pressure the starch is being pressed into thecollar without any strain or tension on the fabric of the collar. Thepressure can be adjusted by the bolts holding the press-block E in itsplace. The collar remains on the belt B and is carried over the rollersin" and m, and arriving where the two pulleys or rollers m and 0 comenear together, a scraping-knife,

'K, fastened to the side frames and stretching constitutes the supply ofstarch for the belt T,

which transfers a part of it to the outside of the belt 9. The belt Tcarries the collar along toward the belt 9, and the collar passes withand between the two belts T and g, over the press-block D, where itreceives a pressure from the rollers r r. This time the otherside of thecollar is starched and pressed, as the side of the collar which was nextto the belt B is now on the outside next to the belt 9. The collar nowpasses with the belt T toward and over the roller 0 where a secondscrapingknife, K at the front of the roller takes the collar off thebelt T.

All collars or any other suitable pieces to be starched may be put inquick succession on the belt B at P, and the machine will starch themthoroughly.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The rollers r1, arranged in a circle around the shafts A and h, withwhich they revolvc,in combination with the belts d and g, and with therollers n n n n and u u it", respectively, over which these belts arestretched, and in combination with the press-blocks E and D, for thepurpose of pressing the starch through the collars, cuffs, 830., asspecified.

2. The carrier-belts B and T, in combination with the starehing-belts dand g,rollers r r. press-blocks E and D, and scrapingknives K and K forthe purposeof carrying the collars through the machine and transferringthem automatically from one belt to the other with the reverse side up,so as to press starch through from both sides,and taking the collars.

off when finished, substantially as specified.

3. A starchiug machine consisting of the carrierbelts B and T and theirrollerdrums on shafts A and h, starching-belts d and g, with theirrollers,press-blocks E and D,starch hopper S,with shaft and agitator a,knives K and K, driving-chain II, with chain-wheels C C C O and gearing,all combined to give the several parts their correct movement for thepurpose of starching collars, culls, &c., as specified.

SILAS V. HOLB $00K.

\Vitnesses:

RoBT. J. S. Fox, F. W. GERECKE.

